Getting to the gym ended up being quite the difficult task, though not for the reasons she would have imagined.

As they made their way through the busy streets of Hearthome they had to stop themselves constantly from just… spending some time in every place they saw. Her mouth watered with possibilities as they ran across every single temptation imaginable. An ice cream shop which had every possible flavor under the sun was the first thing they saw, and she had to practically drag Barry while promising they would come back later.

That wasn't the worst of it. A bakery which smelled like dreams right out of the oven, a shopping mall that sold every Pokeball, accessory and Battle Item she could possibly imagine, a clothes shop that sported a red coat and boots she fell in love with, and even a gigantic arcade which looked like a neon-nightmare of fun.

And then there were the parks, or at least what she called them for lack of a better term. Every few blocks or so they saw springs surrounded by small fields of flowers or playgrounds full of comfortable benches which seemed so inviting it almost hurt not to sleep a few minutes there. They were full of friendly wild Pokemon, a tourist's dream. Wherever they went they couldn't take their eyes off the city itself, almost like it was trying to charm them. Which made it embarrassing when they finally arrived at the gym and she almost ran into a wall due to being distracted by one of the nearby local businesses.

"Yeah, I was about to say. Careful ahead." Barry chuckled.

"Shut up," she replied, adjusting her hat while trying to hide her blush.

The building was… quite smaller than she expected, especially for a city like Hearthome. For one, it didn't seem wide enough to accommodate a proper arena. Marble stairs led to a thick pair of wooden doors reinforced with iron, and from the sides of them rose two small towers made of really old, blue-ish stone. The building looked like a mix between a castle and an old rustic home, which she thought was odd for a Gym.

Two people stood on each side of the massive doors, wearing formal black suits with a white shirt and black tie underneath. The girl was the first to speak as they made their way up the stairs.

"Can we help you?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"We are Lady Fantina's entourage," clarified the man, bowing to them ever so lightly. "What brings you here?"

Inyssa and Barry exchanged looks, just to make sure the other had felt the same chill down their spine. Something about their voice and the heavy shadows they carried under their eyes…

"We're looking for a good fight." Barry finally replied, showing a confident smile. "Any of you up to it?"

"And we would like to meet the Gym Leader as well," she added.

The woman arched the corner of her lip downward, and turned to her partner. He closed his very tired looking eyes and sighed, both hands on his hips.

"You can't meet her." He spoke as if he'd been repeating those words endlessly. "And we can't fight you either."

"What?" Barry jumped in place, taking the hands out of his pockets. "Isn't this the Gym?"

"Indeed, but I'm afraid Lady Fantina isn't available at the moment," the woman said, crossing her arms. "And we are not allowed to take on challengers unless it's in very specific circumstances."

She felt her spirits drop lower than the floor, and the exhaustion and anxiety she'd been trying to hold back began to buzz around her head.

"Are you kidding me? Again?" Barry protested, shoulders low. "It's just like in Oreburgh."

"Does any Gym Leader in this region do their fucking job!?" she added, heat and anger imbuing her voice.

"Don't talk about Lady Fantina like that!" The man took a step forward, his ears turning red. "She is the greatest, most wondrous trainer in all of Sinnoh!"

"And she doesn't have time for every second-class trainer who comes to her door," his partner added. "If you wish to have a chance to challenge her you should know that you need to take the tr-"

Before she could finish her sentence, all of them felt an unnatural chill in the air. The guards' bodies went stiff, and both of their eyes opened wide like plates. The man took a step back, eyes fixed on something behind Inyssa. She gulped, then looked down at her feet.

"Wh-?"

Her shadow had become pitch black, more a dark, sticky substance than the lack of light, and before she could process what was happening it changed in shape, elongating through the ground like tendrils of darkness. Something started to emerge from it, and her heart stopped for a moment.

A robust, purple creature made from shadows ascended from the darkness behind her body, its blood-red eyes glued to hers. Black spikes rose from its back and below where its nose should have been she saw a cold, unwavering smile of white teeth. She recognized the Pokemon, which didn't mean it didn't freak her the fuck out.

"HOLY F-!" Barry jumped backwards with so much force he tripped on the steps, falling on his butt in a manner that would've made her laugh in any other situation. "What is that!?"

"L…Lady Fantina's Gengar." She heard the man's voice behind her. "What… brings you here?"

The ghost Pokemon extended one of its plump purple arms to the two guards, its eyes never moving from Inyssa. She took a step back and tried to wipe the horrified look off her face. In its hands was a small, ornate piece of paper that it handed to the woman, who grabbed it carefully and started reading it.

"It says… Let Her In?" she read it with a mix of confusion and incredulousness in her tone. "Is she serious?"

Gengar let out a chuckle that made Inyssa's skin crawl and started to dissolve again into the darkness of her shadow, until it disappeared completely. She still hadn't moved an inch.

Sleeping tonight ain't gonna be easy, she thought.

"Well…" The male guard swallowed, and his gaze went from his partner to the two kids. "You heard her. It seems our Fair Lady wishes to have a meeting, so you should not make her wait ."

Inyssa closed her eyes and tried to push the burning spider-web of thoughts in her mind deeper, to a place where it wouldn't bother her for a while. She would deal with that chaos later, in the darkness of her room where no one could see her face. Right now she had business to take care of.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." She turned to Barry, giving him a thumbs up.

"Sure!" he replied with a smile that wasn't quite right. "I'll just go to the ice cream store in the meantime and eat until I can't move."

----------------------------------------

Halfway in she realized she forgot to ask the guards what room the Gym Leader was in, but by then it was too late. Besides, she could almost make up a bit of light filtering through one of the doors on the second floor. She made her way up the ornate black marble staircase, feeling the place get colder with every step she took.

Reaching the door, she put a hand over the knob and opened it carefully, cold sweat beginning to form on the back of her neck. She opened it to reveal a medium sized room, with merely a wooden table in the middle of it, resting on top of a carpet red as blood. In the furthest corner of the table sat a woman, a cup of wine on one hand and what seemed like a small book on the other.

"Inyssa! Welcome, my dear." She spoke with a deep voice, smooth as silk. "Glad to see you could make it. Have a seat, would you?"

Inyssa stood in place, not knowing what to do. Was this the Gym Leader? Why did she know her name?

The woman was probably in her early forties, her pale and oval shaped face covered with the slightest hints of makeup. Her purple hair was tied in four buns which formed an X behind her head. She wore a full-length, strapless purple dress which was quite… close fitting, if she had to choose a term to describe it. Small amounts of white glitter covered it from the top to the tip of the skirt, and close to her hip there was what appeared to be a yellow ribbon with the shape of a plus sign.

She'd never seen such a lavish outfit outside of maybe a wedding, and here this woman was wearing it for her afternoon snack hour. There was something strangely familiar about her appearance, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Are you the Gym Leader?" she asked, her voice thin.

"Yours truly," she nodded. "My name is Fantina Annabelle Katelyn Dusk. You might have heard of me from my modeling career, or perhaps my title as Master of Pokemon Contests. But for the purposes of this meeting I will admit, yes, I am the current Gym Leader of Hearthome."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

She couldn't help but let out a small gasp; so that was it. She'd seen this woman before, many years ago when she had competed against her mother in the finals of a very important Pokemon Contest. But it wasn't just that. She'd read plenty of... rumors, regarding the two. The inside of her mouth turned sour, and she couldn't help but make a face at the unpleasant thought.

Contests… she'd always hated them, completely unrelated to the fact that they were her mother's job. She saw them as nothing but a mockery of real battling; using Pokemon for little dances and artistic shows while dressing them in stupid clothing. A complete waste of time.

"I'm Inyssa Dawn," she replied, tone dry. "Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Fantina said, articulating with her free hand toward the chair to her left. "Once again, please have a seat."

She walked toward her with caution in her step, and slowly sat down on the white chair covered in gold ornaments. It was extremely cold. On top of the table there was one plate, which contained only three slices of blue cheese and a parsley leaf. Next to it was the small book the woman had been reading, its title…

"Springy the Bunnelby?" the question came out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Isn't that a comic book for kids?"

"Ah! I see you're familiar with it." Her eyes widened, excitement clear in her voice. "Do you also enjoy them?"

She gulped, saddened that she couldn't take a step back due to being on a chair. "Uh… I mean, yeah when I was like, six."

"A true masterpiece." The woman closed her eyes and let out a deep, perfect sigh. "It takes great talent to create entertainment suitable for both children and adults, don't you think?"

Inyssa looked around, trying to make sure there weren't any hidden cameras and this wasn't someone playing a prank on her. She didn't know what she expected from the so-called terrifying master of ghost Pokemon that was rumored to be Hearthome's Gym Leader, but this definitely wasn't it.

"I…" She stammered, trying to find her words, "I'm… sorry for the rudeness, but why did you call me here?"

"Of course, I apologize." She placed the glass filled with blood-red wine on the table, and showed her a smile of perfect white teeth. "Sarah contacted me three days ago, telling me you would be coming by. She asked me to keep an eye on you."

"S…Sarah?" she asked, brow furrowed. "You mean like… Barry's mom?"

"Yes, we are very good friends, she and I." Fantina smiled, her white gloves glistening.

Sarah's words came to her mind, something that she'd told her just before they left Eterna City. She had trusted someone in Hearthome to look after them, one of her close friends.

"…and after I got the news about what incredible trainers you two are, well I just had to meet you personally."

"Wait, who-?"

"So there's your answer," Fantina cut her off. "To be honest there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you, Inyssa, but I think it's better if our little chat starts with one topic in particular."

She shifted in her seat, not comfortable with literally anything inside that room.

"Yeah? What topic?"

Fantina leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands. Her deep, black eyes met hers and Inyssa suddenly felt like the temperature of the room dropped drastically.

"Tell me, darling," she said, almost singing her words. "Why haven't you opened the letter Johanna sent you?"

Inyssa blinked, not processing what she'd just heard.

"W-what?"

"Your mother's letter," she repeated. "You haven't read it yet. She is very worried, you know."

Her body moved before her mind could catch up to it. She got up from the chair so violently it almost toppled to the ground, and her feet carried her to the other side of the room. She grabbed the doorknob and tried to turn it, to no avail. The door was locked.

"Let me go."

"Interesting. I see your attitude was not exaggerated." Fantina muttered to herself. "Inyssa, I just wish to talk. I assure you I have no ill intentions."

Heat traveled from her stomach to the rest of her body, especially her face and hands. Needles of anger pricked at her fingertips.

"What do you care?" she spat at the woman. "How do you even know about…?"

"Johanna is also a very close… well, I would say even the word friend doesn't describe it properly." She sighed. "We used to be partners, back in the day. I taught her everything she knows about Contests."

"I don't care," was her simple reply. "That doesn't give you the right to ask about my personal life."

"True," she nodded. "I can't say I'm well informed about the relationship you and Johanna have, and it would be wrong of me to judge you for your decisions on the matter. However I do believe that her worry is well founded, from what I've heard about you."

"Yeah?" she asked, trying to suppress a twitch in her eye. "And what have you heard about me?"

Fantina delicately moved a strand of hair from her face. The smile she'd displayed before had all but disappeared, and the dark abyss behind her eyes was almost enough to intimidate Inyssa.

"By some accounts I've heard that you're a dedicated, powerful trainer with nerves of steel and an admirable spirit," she said. "By others, however, I've gotten the impression that you're a reckless teenager with an extremely short fuse who doesn't listen to anyone and ends up in deadly situations at an alarming rate. I called you here because I wanted to draw my own conclusions on the matter; I'm a very good judge of character, you see."

"Psh. And what's your diagnosis, doc?" She imbued her voice with the most obvious fake gentleness she could. "Because I'm afraid I might have come down with a terrible case of Go fuck yourself."

Fantina let out a short chuckle. "Ah... quaint. I can see a bit of both in you, but I consider it too early to make a decision just yet." She leaned on the chair, arching her back like a Purrloin. "You have that Dawn fire in your bones for sure, so it is a shame that you've also inherited Leonard's downcast disposition."

Inyssa flinched. Her dad? What did he have to do with it? True, she didn't remember much about him, but what little she did...

No, she's right, Inyssa frowned. Mom used to say it too. He was... like me in that regard, wasn't he?

"It also makes it unfortunate," Fantina continued, "that you lack Johanna's grace or Shadi's… Well, I shouldn't really praise her for her craftiness, but..."

Inyssa kicked one of the edges of the table with all the strength she had in her. Her intention might have been toppling it over as a good expression of how she was feeling but the table was heavy and all she accomplished was shaking it a bit, one of the candle holders falling to its side. Fantina simply shook her head and sighed.

"I am not them!" She yelled with enough force to hurt her throat. "I am sick and fucking tired of getting compared to everyone in my family!"

"It will keep happening, I'm afraid."

Fantina's legs uncrossed and she rose to her feet with the elegance of a petal floating in the wind. She took a few steps towards her and the sound of her stilettos hitting the ground felt like someone was pecking her brain.

"People will keep comparing you to those who've come before you," she said, "because that's what people do."

"Why?" she asked, sounding more desperate than angry. "I don't get it, everyone makes such a big fucking deal about it." She crossed her arms, unconsciously trying to make herself smaller. "Who cares about my mom or Shadi? They have nothing to do with me or with my career as a trainer."

"From an ideal standpoint, you're right," said Fantina. "But the reality is that a comparison between them and you is inevitable. They both became famous for very different, but important reasons. Their accomplishments are still fresh in Sinnoh's memory."

"I…" She felt her breathing getting heavy. "I don't care. I am not them."

Fantina shot her a look which was hard to describe. She felt like the woman was staring directly at her soul.

"Tell me something, Inyssa." She placed a finger on her chin. "You wish to become the Champion, do you not?"

"Y-yes." She lowered her head. "More than anything."

"Then you will have to learn how to deal with people constantly comparing you to others," she said, raising her hand, palm up. "Do you know what characterizes a proper Champion?"

"They're… very strong?"

"Well yes, that is an essential component, but it's hardly all there is to it. Since old times the Champion has been a paragon of the best traits our land has to offer. They have all been exceptionally virtuous and kind to accompany their overwhelming strength, especially after the war waged against Kanto." She spoke with passion, hand curled into a fist. "However when I look at you I see none of these things. A spiteful child who can't stop herself from verbally assaulting anyone who gets a rise from her will never be fit to be the Champion."

She grit her teeth, palms white from the force her fingers were applying to them. She wanted to yell at her, she wanted to say anything to defend herself or to simply hurt her, but she couldn't. All the rage and stress she'd been trying to repress rose up to her throat, choking her when she opened her mouth to speak. Instead she simply looked down at the floor and tried to contain the sting she began to feel in her eyes.

"Why do you care?" she finally asked after what seemed like an entire minute. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm rooting for you, Inyssa."

She felt one of Fantina's hands on top of her shoulder. It was cold, strangely so considering she was wearing gloves.

"What happened to your family was… unfortunate." She spoke with a sorrowful tone. "None of you deserved it. Not Johanna, one of the people I love most. Not Shadi, even if she took some... rather significant missteps. And definitely not you." Inyssa looked up at her. Why had her face gone dark after mentioning Shadi?. "I can see you're a good kid despite all that brews in that head of yours, and the least I owe your mother and Sarah is to try and help you."

Inyssa bit her lip, feeling her legs shake just a bit. There was no anger left inside her, just cold apathy.

"If this is what you call help then I hope you never become a therapist," she said, tone dry.

"I apologize," Fantina smiled, "but you needed to hear that. I know what you're capable of, Inyssa. I believe you might have a chance of becoming the Champion, but you have to learn to conduct yourself around others."

Inyssa took a hand to her face, wiping the wetness running down her cheek.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked, pride taking the back seat in her mind.

"For now? Go have a great day, and when you have time, reflect on yourself." Fantina turned around and walked towards her chair, her hips moving to the sides with every step.

"I'm gonna drown myself in ice cream."

"Sounds wonderful," she replied. "As for your second task, well… do you know how I deal with challengers in my gym?"

She shook her head weakly, which prompted the old woman to smile proudly.

"Being a famous Contest star means I don't quite have time to accept every youngster that comes to my Gym as an opponent. As such, I have a rule to only battle four times per week."

"Oh god, please tell me there's not a queue."

"Not quite," she said. "Every trainer who wishes to challenge me will need to pass a test designed by yours truly. This trial occurs every Monday morning, which gives the competitors one chance per week."

She forced her brain to start working again, asking it to give her the current day. It was Tuesday.

"Where is the trial held?" she asked, feeling some of her strength coming back to her limbs.

"East of here, in the northern part of Route 209 lies a very special structure." Fantina sat down once more, crossing her legs and picking up her fork. "Locals call it the Lost Tower, and it's rumored to be one of the oldest buildings in all of Sinnoh. The trial will take place in the subterranean chambers underneath it."

She closed her hand into a fist, and the smallest hint of a smile appeared on her face. Battling, now that was something she could do very well.

"I'll be there," she assured the Gym Leader, fire in her eyes, "and I'll show you why I deserve to become the Champion."

"I sincerely hope you do." She nodded, taking a sip of her cup of wine. "You have six days to train and think about things. Make good use of them."

Without another word Inyssa turned around and headed towards the door. She almost made her way to it when she heard Fantina's voice again.

"And again, I know it isn't my place to interfere, but…" Her tone was a lot warmer than before. "Please, open that letter. Tell your mother you're okay."

"I will," she replied, no hint of anger in her voice. "Goodbye."